This community is for questions and support for people with, or for loved ones of people who drink and are trying to quit. The forum covers topics ranging from Health Issues, How to Quit, Reasons to Quit, Relapse Prevention, Friend and Family Support.

cold turkey or taper?

I am an alcoholic...but I have no insurance. is there a safe way of tapering off, or is it better to go cold turkey and just deal with the side affects? Everything I have looked up online has me so confused. I don't know where to turn. I've lost my job because of this, but I hate being sober. But I HATE this feeling even more...any suggestions would be welcomed

I too am an alcoholic. I had no insurance almost 14 years ago when I cold turkeyed from a substanial daily intake. Cold turkey is not recomended due to the risk of seizures. I could not taper. I doubt many tru alcoholics can.
Please contact a Dr.for assistance, there is AA which has many world wide, there is also an alcohol forum here with Medhelp that might assist you.
Just having inscurance will not get or keep you sober. That desire has to come from within. If you truly want this, you will find a way to get the help you need. there is plenty help out there, ask one of those places mentioned for help, you will get it, I promise.
I wish you well. Good luck!

me and my husband both are alcoholics to we both got tired of feeling bad all the time and having no energy.it was so bad we were spending all of our money and borrowing money to constantly support our habit.we were drinking from the time we woke up til we passed out everyday and have been for years. about 3 weeks ago we both decided enough was enough and quit cold turkey.its not easy at first the first 5 days are the worse with leg pains and sleepless nights ,but we have pulled through it and we both made it through just fine we have been clean 3 weeks now and we feel tons better .you just have to make up your mind that its what you want once you have made your mind up to do it it is possible .

The question in the first comment is the maximum priority as far as I am concerned. My best friend has always insisted that tapering down is the best but DOWN never happens or let me say it becomes a negative taper. "I have no insurance. is there a safe way of tapering off, or is it better to go cold turkey and just deal with the side affects? " The answer is not apparent. I am an ex smoker that could never deal with the tapering down principal so one day I decided to just bite the bullet and I have been smoke free for over 25 years. One cigarette cost me 5 years to try to quit again. I imagine it is the same with alcohol nut how do you treat that first step? This person went through a 28 day detox and just like my cigarette problem, a drink or two and I can stop. It doesn't work.

As an alcoholic, it is in your best interest to taper down. Quitting 'cold turkey' can make you have seizures, as addict3 has mentioned. I don't know how long or serious your alcoholism is, but I guarantee, that this is the only SAFE way to do it without medical supervision if you are a hardcore alcoholic.

Any kind of addiction is difficult, especially when you have become physically dependent on the stuff. Realize that experiencing some withdrawal symptoms is a normal ---but terrible--- part of getting off drugs/alcohol, etc. These can be lessened if you plan out how much alcohol you will allow yourself a day and gradually decrease the amount. Despite what oldfisherman713 says, if this is done correctly, your problem should stop. What happens is people go too quickly, or, they do not adhere to the guidelines they've set up for themselves because they may need more help, or the guidelines are unrealistic. If you are going to try doing this alone, you should consider getting support from family members/friends/ AA. I mean this seriously. Ideally, Do you would go to a detox clinic, but insurance probably won't allow you to.

Realize that you are in the right mindset. You obviously don't want to drink anymore, and I think that is the one thing that helps people who are physically addicted to something. I think if you keep your attitude through all of this, there is no reason that you won't be successful. It requires support, avoiding alcoholic cues *even the cues can cause withdrawal symptoms after you've stopped drinking, did you know that?* and of course, realizing that it's not a race to get better. It takes time and desire.

Anyways, I am no medical expert, but I think to taper off, you should try to diminish 2 ounces of alcohol a day. *Not sure how much you drink but I am going to assume that this is hardcore drinking* Decreasing downward a small amount like this is ideal, until the day you reach a final 2 ounces.

Taper down to 2 ounces less than what you would normally drink per day and see how that works for you. If you feel too stressed, maybe try one ounce less than the regular amount you drink, or go even slower and try cutting back 2 ounces every week. Set up subgoals on your calender where you or someone else can write down what you should be drinking by a certain date and cross it out once you've reached it. That is very reinforcing, and having it on paper helps you to commit to your goal. Make sure your friends and family are aware of this, and encourage them to confront you about your progress (and hopefully they will praise you). If your friends and family are the type who will criticize your method of getting better, stick to AA and/or others who respect that you are undertaking this challenge. It's so nice to hear that want to help yourself. Someday, you will quit drinking. Getting there alone means lessening the amount of alcohol you need to consume to function until you don't require any. You can do it, and if you make sure to avoid alcoholic cues, have lots of support, dry friends, and better ways to deal with life's issues, there is no doubt that you will be sober for a long time too! Good luck!

It might also help while you are quitting if you drink booze only in one spot, in kind of an annoying place to drink, like a small shed or something. This might help you associate drinking as being an annoying task. Other areas of the house, try not to drink; try to break the associate of your house/bed/wherever, as being associated with being drunk or drinking. This will help minimize alcoholic cues within your home and help your recovery. I really hope this works out for you.

Disclaimer: as per suggestion of others, consult a doctor if at all possible, and join AA.

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